07/06/2023
HOT "TIP"
I get asked more often than not, "How much should I plan to tip during my trip?" 🤔
Tipping varies from country to country and knowing how much to plan before a vacation can be tricky, so here is a little "Know Before You Go" from Pinnacle Travel Partners:
France: Restaurant (10 percent), hotel maid per night (€1-1.50), hotel porter per bag (€0.50-1.00) per bag, taxi 10 percent.💶
Spain: Restaurant (10 percent), hotel maid per night (€2-5), hotel porter per bag (€1-2), taxi 10 percent.
United States: Restaurant (10-25 percent), hotel maid per night ($2-$3), hotel porter per bag ($1-$2), tax (10-15 percent).💵
China: No top for restaurant, hotel maid, hotel porter or taxi.
Italy: Restaurant (no tip); hotel maid per night (€0.75-1.50); hotel porter per bag (up to €5), taxi Turkey: Restaurant (5-10 percent), hotel maid per night (5-10 lira), hotel porter per bag (4-5 lira), taxi (round up).
Mexico: Restaurant (10 percent), hotel maid per night (20-50 pesos), hotel porter per bag (10-20 pesos), tax (no tip).
Thailand: Restaurant (10 percent), hotel maid per night (20-50 baht), hotel porter per bag (20-50 baht), taxi (no tip).
Germany: Restaurant (10 percent), hotel maid per night (€3-5), hotel porter per bag (€1-3), taxi (round up).
United Kingdom: Restaurant (10 percent), hotel maid per night (£1-2), hotel porter per bag (£1-2), taxi (round up).
Japan: No top for restaurant, hotel maid, hotel porter or taxi.
Austria: Restaurant (10 percent), hotel maid per night (€1-2), hotel porter per bag (€1-2), taxi (10 percent).
Greece: Restaurant (5-10 percent), hotel maid per night (€1), hotel porter per bag (€1), taxi (5-10 percent).
Malaysia: Restaurant (no tip), hotel maid per night (2-10 RM) hotel porter per bag (2-10 RM), taxi (no tip).
Portugal: Restaurant (no tip), hotel maid per night (€1-2), hotel porter per bag €1-2), taxi (no tip).
In Europe, tipping varies from country to country; on average, the standard is 10% for restaurants and €1-€2 for hotels. Meanwhile, for taxis, it is less customary to tip, although rounding up the fair is not uncommon.
Tipping isn't as customary in Asia as in other parts of the world, and in some countries, it can be taken as an insult. It's not customary to tip hotel porters in China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia or the Philippines, but you can expect to pay around $1 per bag for most places. There's even less obligation to tip taxi drivers.🌏
It's common knowledge that most Americans are big on tipping, as workers often rely on them to pay their bills. So, if you're traveling to this part of the world, expect to spend more on tipping.
Across Peru, Argentina and Brazil, a 10 percent tip for restaurants is standard, and if you're in a taxi, at most, you'll only need to round the fare up. For hotel porters and maids, pay around 3 soles in Peru per bag, 1-3 pesos in Argentina, and R$5-R$6 in Brazil.🌎
Across Africa, a 10 percent tip for restaurants is standard in Egypt, Kenya, and Tunisia, but this can increase to up to 15 percent in South Africa and Morocco. South Africa is the only country where it's common to tip taxi drivers, at around 10 percent. You only need to round up the fair in Tunisia and Morocco, and it's not expected at all in Egypt and Kenya.🌍
Unlike the other continents not mentioned, there's no obligation to tip in Australia or New Zealand—whether for waiters, taxi drivers, hotel porters or hotel maids. Of course, if you feel you've had excellent service, you can put down a few dollars, but there's no expectation.
So, now you know roughly how much you should tip across the world, here are some top tips so that you can be the savviest tipper overseas:
Always carry cash: While it’s super easy to pay by card everywhere you go in Europe, in some countries, cash is king—and even if it’s not, you can’t tip hotel porters and maids without it. So it’s always worth changing some currency before you travel to ensure you tip fairly while abroad.
In some countries, it’s not just in restaurants, hotels and taxis that you’ll be expected to tip. For example, in the U.S., if you want to get served again in a bar, always leave a dollar or two once you’ve been served your first drink. You might also want to tip in a coffee shop, although despite there usually being a tip jar at the counter in the U.S., there’s no obligation to tip.
Remember that tipping can be seen as an insult 😲: While you usually tip to show your appreciation for the good service you’ve received, remember that it’s not always perceived that way across the world. In certain countries in Asia tipping can be seen as insulting, so don’t automatically reach for the cash once you’ve eaten your meal, or been dropped off at your destination, unless you know it’s going to be appreciated.
